Paris, August 26 (HS): India’s top shuttler Lakshya Sen suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the BWF World Championships 2025, going down in straight games to reigning World No.1 and top seed Shi Yu Qi of China on Monday.
The 24-year-old, who clinched bronze at the 2021 edition, fought hard but ultimately fell short 17-21, 19-21 in a 54-minute battle. Despite engaging in several grueling rallies and showcasing flashes of his attacking flair, Lakshya struggled to break past the Chinese star’s rock-solid defense and blistering smashes.
Sen had entered the tournament aiming to redeem himself following the heartbreak of finishing fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but facing an in-form Shi proved too steep a challenge. The Chinese ace, unbeaten in nine finals since January 2024, asserted his dominance yet again, extending his head-to-head record against Sen to 4-1.
The opening game saw long rallies, including a thrilling 47-shot exchange that ended with an error from Sen, giving Shi the momentum. Though Sen clawed back to 11-11, Shi’s relentless attack secured him the game 21-17.
In the second, Sen began brightly, matching his rival up to 5-5, but Shi stepped up his pace. A thunderous 414 km/h smash turned the tide, leaving Sen under constant pressure. The Indian mounted a spirited fightback to close in at 16-17, but two costly unforced errors at crunch time sealed his fate, with Shi clinching the game 21-19 and the match.
Early exit in women’s doubles too
It was double disappointment for India as the Panda sisters, Rutuparna and Swetaparna, bowed out in the first round. They lost 12-21, 11-21 to Bulgaria’s experienced Stoeva sisters, Gabriela and Stefani.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
